Tag Archives: recruiting

There are three basic recruiting types. Knowing which one will help you the most is extremely important. Go to the wrong one and you’ll get that nagging feeling that he is not on your side.

Mass marketers work with companies that need a lot of people. They process candidates in a systematic way and send out resumes by the dozen. They are great if you want a job where there are 10 or 100 people doing the same thing you are, like at a help desk or clerical job. I was talking to one mass marketer who said, “We always check references. We hope no one remembers our candidates because that means the candidate didn’t cause any trouble.” If you want a job without a lot of questions asked, look for a mass marketer.

Professional pickers find individuals for spots where 1 to 3 people are needed. The pace is slower. Personality and skills become a huge factor. Programmers, accountants, managers and other jobs are often in this group. These guys will match your specific skills and background to the job. You have to be willing to answer a lot of questions and go through several interviews. The better you do in the interviews, the better you will be paid. But you have to find the right professional picker. You have to find one that specializes in guys just like you. Send them your resume.

Boutique elite recruiters are looking for top jobs. They are headhunters. They hunt their quarry one person at a time. The find presidents, CFO’s, CIO’s, plant managers and very high level engineers. They find you. Put your name and reputation out on LinkedIn and publish a few articles in online forums if you want to attract their attention. If a headhunter calls you, remember that they generally talk to 50-100 qualified people for every opening they fill. So, expect to be contacted by several of them before one finds you a job.

Think about the type of job you want. You need to make sure your recruiter is at the right level. Ask your recruiter how many people they have placed in the job you want in the past year. Ask them why you should let them represent you.

Control your job search. Evaluate the people who offer to help you. More on that soon.

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Something To Do Today

Take control of your job search. Let any recruiter who offers to help be a helper. You keep searching yourself and control your search by requiring feedback.

Eagles don’t flock, you have to find them one at a time. (EDS recruiting slogan)

I used to believe that eagles don’t flock. I’d seen flocks of geese, starlings, and turkeys. Never a flock of eagles. For some reason, I believed the best people didn’t flock either. After all, my employer used it as a recruiting slogan. You have to find the great people one-by-one.

8 years into EDS, I worked with a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist. On her wall she had the Sierra club calendar. There was a picture of a dozen eagles all sitting in the bare branches of an Alaskan tree. I commented on the incongruity of all those eagles flocking together. She said, “My husband and I were in Alaska when we took that picture. It really isn’t that uncommon of a sight where there are a lot of eagles.”

Looking for flocks of eagles became a hobby of mine, particularly since my employer’s recruiting slogan denied that eagles flock. I found that there really are a lot of lone eagles. They are islands of expertise and productivity in an ocean of mediocrity. My current profession is to find those eagles and move them into flocks.

There are a few flocks of eagles in every industry and city. Places where eagles are naturally attracted. Once you know where those places are, it is pretty easy to get an eagle to move to that flock. Some choose to remain the lone eagle among sparrows. I can’t blame them. Besides, they can move to a flock anytime they want.

Just being around eagles makes you grow. You can’t help but want to be like them even if you are just a sparrow. Somehow, you absorb their attitude and habits. Even if you don’t really want to become an eagle, being around them is exhilarating.

So keep your eyes open for flocks of eagles and individual eagles. Find a way to work closely with them. You’ll learn and grow. You’ll find your career is enhanced and your outlook improves whether or not you ever want to become an eagle yourself.

Something to do today

Ask around. Where is the flock of eagles you would like to work with? Where are the lone eagles?